Sweet Release
by weirdgirl42
Summary: A sort of sequel to "Sweet Comfort." In that same universe for sure. What happens when Sweets gets told about Booth's amnesia?


_Disclaimer: Everything I own could fit into a two-door sedan. And I'm pretty sure I couldn't fit the cast of Bones. Though it might be fun to try!  
_

_Author's Note: This fic takes place in the same universe as my story "Sweet Comfort." You don't necessarily have to read that first, but you might want to cause this will make more sense afterward. I'm a little nervous about this story because it's a little out of character. But it came to me and I am a helpless servant to my muse. _

**Sweet Release**

Even though Lance Sweets wasn't actually asleep, the sound of his phone buzzing on the nightstand made him jump. Next to him, Daisy stirred but didn't wake and he found himself smiling at her ability to sleep through anything. Reaching for his cell he flipped it open without looking at the caller-id.

"Sweets," he said by way of greeting. The words Angela spoke made his heart leap and then sink. He told her he'd be right there and closed the phone before she had time to object that he wasn't really needed. It would take too long to explain why he really was.

His movement in getting out of the bed and pulling on clothing woke his sleeping partner. "Lance?" came Daisy's voice.

Sweets leaned down and kissed her head. "Booth's awake but he can't remember anything. I have to get to the hospital."

Daisy ran her hand through his hair, trying to tame it somewhat. "Do you want me to come with."

He kissed her briefly, thanking her for the offer of support. "No," he replied. "Go back to sleep." He watched as she did just that before pulling a shirt over his head and heading out the door. As he drove to the hospital his mind was racing. The last few days had been hell for them all, but especially for Brennan. Sweets had it on good authority that she hadn't left Booth's side for more than twenty minutes the whole time he'd been in the hospital. He had visited too, when he knew no one else would be there. He knew Brennan was keeping a brave exterior for the sake of the team, and for her own sake as well. He wanted to be there for her when the rest of the team was gone so she didn't have to put on a front.

Over the last few months, he and Brennan had developed a very different relationship than the one they'd had for two years. They'd come together over their shared experiences in the foster care system. Sweets had told her things about his childhood that no one but his adoptive parents knew about. Brennan had taken to bringing him along on the weekends when she spent time with a former foster child she'd met during a case several years back. And she had confided in him about her own memories and experiences of being in the system. Confided in him not as a counselor or shrink, but as a friend. Sweets was aware that he now knew more about her past than anyone else on the team, including Booth.

Some days it seemed terribly strange to him that they had become friends. It was true that in counseling sessions with Booth, she was no more forthcoming than she had ever been. Her declaration that she wanted to have a child had come as a complete shock to him. But at the same time, it hadn't really. He had seen the way she was with Shawn. He had heard in her voice when she talked about Booth and their partnership how much she admired and respected her partner. Sweets had long suspected her feelings of being more than she let on and had become more and more convinced of that fact the more time they spent together. In some ways, he was beginning to question his current methods of therapy, because after only a few months of informal time spent together, he knew more about the way her mind worked than he had found out in two years of sessions. And that's why he, more than anyone, understood the significance she would place on the loss of Booth's memory.

After what seemed like far too long, he pulled into the hospital parking lot and raced inside, ignoring the questions of nurses. He took the stairs up four flights and finally arrived at the waiting room just outside Booth's room. There he found Hodgins sitting in a plastic chair, watching Angela and Brennan who were leaning against the far wall. Angela's hand rested on her friend's shoulder and her face was full of sorrow and sympathy. Brennan's face, on the other hand, was stoic and controlled.

"Hey," Sweets said softly, alerting the others to his presence.

Angela smiled in greeting while Hodgins just said "hey" back. Sweets nodded to them both before turning to look at Brennan. The first thing he noticed was that she looked exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders sagged in a way he'd never seen before. And from across the room he could see that her eyes held the beginnings of unshed tears.

A small war was fought in his mind as he decided whether or not to speak with her in front of Angela and Hodgins. Early on in their new-found friendship they had both come to the conclusion that having a confidential relationship made sure they could be open with each other. Brennan would never have to fear that he would bring up issues he'd learned in confidence in their therapy sessions with Booth. He knew she wasn't ready for her partner to know about what had happened to her as a child. And he knew she would never use information she'd gained against him during sessions as well. The only real way to do this was to keep their professional selves out of their friendship and vice versa. So far, it had worked well. But now, Sweets knew that Brennan needed her friend, not her FBI-appointed couples counselor. The decision made, he took a step towards Brennan and Angela.

"He hasn't left you," he said quietly. Angela and Hodgins were looking at him with surprised expressions. But he saw Brennan falter and take a breath and he knew he had correctly determined the main cause of her obvious grief so he pressed on. "It seems like he has, like it's no different than any other person who's left. Or no different than a year ago when he died. But he hasn't left you. So you can't give up on him. Cause he needs you."

At this point, Angela and Hodgins were looking at him like he'd grown a second head. But that was nothing compared to the looks on their faces when Brennan crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her face against his shoulder. He brought one hand to her shoulders and the other to the back of her head, hugging her as tightly as she was hugging him. It reminded him of the first time they had ever stood together like this, when he'd told her the truth about the scars on his back. "He's going to get through this," he said, only loud enough for her to hear. "It's Booth. He's still in there somewhere. As long as he's breathing, he would never leave you."

Brennan nodded against his shoulder before pulling away and wiping her eyes. "I need to get back in there. He's very confused and scared."

"Go," Sweets agreed. "I'm going to talk to the doctors. See what kind of treatment they recommend. I have some collegues who are well skilled in hypnotism."

She gave him a skeptical look that was so Brennan, Sweets couldn't help but feel a little better. She was still in there too. She reached out and squeezed his arm, "Thank you for being here Sweets," she said.

"Anytime," he replied.

With that, they both walked out of the waiting room, leaving Angela and Hodgins to wonder how much they could have possibly missed.

**The End**

_so yeah, a little out of character I know. just couldn't get it out of my head until I'd written it down._

_please review! they make me do happy dances!  
_


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